Day: January 29, 2014

taped 2013-12-08 @ Auditorio de la Gente, Tepic, NayaritDinastía, Ludxor, Venum vs El Apache, Machine Rocker, Mini Charly Manson: As a Machine Rocker being awesome showcase, the first half of this match could not have been any better. It was probably meant more for the técnicos, who were sadly slipping at times and not looking smooth at other times. 70% chance the finish was not the exact intended finish because of another slip, but it worked out. It was good the Cadetes were with these rudos because others might have not been able to keep this match together. Surprisingly little amount of Dinastía, who seemed to be the most over dude in this match. Gran Apache is a crazy old man.

Like this:

AAA has announced that Mini Chessman, Valentin Aguilar Garcia, has passed away. He would’ve turned 47 next month. Mini Chessman’s wife had early posted on Facebook (mentioned here) that he was in the hospital due to a respiratory infection and it appears that illness took his life.

Mini Chessman was a veteran member of AAA’s mini division. He started out in AAA as Espectrito II before switching over to his most recent character in 2004. Mini Chessman was mostly a background character, a solid rudo and would make a few TV appearances a year while working more often on non-TV events. His last TV appearance was back in April on Fusion, and his last known in-ring match was the New Year’s Day show in Arena Lopez Mateos.

Mini Chessman is the third person who worked for AAA to pass away due to illness since October, following El Brazo and Jesus Nunez’s deaths.

Relevant Gran Alternativa thought: it took me a couple days, but I finally realized Sombra & Oro Jr. teaming because they’re both essentially doing the same character – Sombra was pushed as the New Oro for his first few years, and that’s where the Sombra name (“he’s a shadow of Oro”) comes from. I like their chances now.

CMLL also teased being on TV Azteca…but it’s for an interview on a late night show, not new TV. This at least the third difference appearance on a TV Azteca show in the last few months and everyone seems to be figuring they’ll have a show on an Azteca channel eventually, but it hasn’t happened yet.

Sombra versus Averno should be really good. 52MX has been inconsistent on the Guadalajara match – it may be a ‘no repeated luchadors’ issue – but I believe the tercera would air on that channel (so the gone from DF Camorra makes TV!)

I guess he (or his legal people) agreed to another Sin Cara show. No opponent announced, probably because they’re waiting for something else to announce. Octagon has been complaining on Twitter about being left off AAA TV tapings, so seeing him on a show with Dr. Wagner is interesting.

Like this:

Sin Cara, the original Mistico, announced he’s a free agent. A few days later, Sin Cara announced he was not sure if he was a free agent or employed by WWE. He’s back! Sin Cara stated he’d like to work everywhere (CMLL, AAA, TXT as well as internationally) and not be tied to a single promotion. He claimed to have the rights to use the Sin Cara name in Mexico. He claimed to have no problem with Mistico II taking the name (since it was CMLL’s decision) and took responsibility for bringing him in to CMLL, but later said he didn’t like Mistico II and how CMLL makes Mistico’s II partners tone down their act to make him look better. And on and on. Sin Cara will be promoting his own show on Saturday, which will include his family members, AAA luchadors, and old rivals Black Warrior & Oriental.

CMLL and NJPW’s FantasticaMania tour did very in Japan. Each of the five shows were reported as sell outs (though they’ve reported slightly higher numbers for Korakuen Hall in past years.) The in-ring product was well received, with Volador’s win over Mascara Dorada as the last match of the tour being the best match of the tour. Sombra got a big win over Ultimo Guerrero on that final show. Both Sombra and Rush (who lost to Nakamura) teased facing NJPW luchadors later this year. Mistico losing to Mephisto and not winning the Mexican Light Heavyweight Championship was the big surprise of the tournament, and suggests CMLL’s not as presently behind him as they used to be. Fuego’s wacky dancing entrance got over big, and he appeared to be the non-star who made the biggest name for himself on the trip. The three iPPVs for the tour aired without much technical problem (except for all the CMLL music being muted out.) FantasticaMania 2015 is all but officially announced.

Shocker turned rudo on Rush. They had been feuding as tecnicos, but Shocker turned with the idea of fighting Rush directly. CMLL’s recently announced Dos Leyendas as happening on 03/21 and that Shocker/Rush hair match jumps to front of the line to main event that show, but it’s far from a sure thing.

AAA started TV tapings for 2014 with shows in Naucalpan in Guerrero Negro. The latter show was less newsworthy, only notable for Zorro advancing in the Rey de Reyes tournament. The Naucalpan show set up Psycho Clown to get another Mega Title at Texano Jr., saw the Secta cost themselves a title match, and debuted a new Infernal Rocker. Also, Super Fly hilariously turned on Aerostar for the third time; the last two times never resulted in a singles match and were forgotten, maybe this one will go better.

CMLL announced it’s Gran Alternativa tournament will start this week. They’ve also introduced a bunch of new luchadors and many of them will be in this tournament (where’s there is no overwhelming favorite.) CMLL’s also continued with the theme of Tuesdays as Nuevo Valores shows, including newer/different wrestlers in big matches. CMLL’s also changed up some of their factions, with Zacarias recruiting new members for Peste Negra and Negro Casas & Felino teaming more with Puma & Tiger.

Arena Naucalpan, which hasn’t been running it’s usual Thursday night shows, announced they’d start running Wednesday shows in February. The building appears to be having some issue with sponsor Corona; their logo is no longer on the ring mat.

CMLL’s Mexico bound roster was very thinned out for a week due to the number of wrestlers in Japan. Of note, Super Porky suffered an injury that was supposed to sit him out for a couple weeks, and opted to not see the doctor and keep working the rest of the week.

Arena Coliseo Reynosa is closing down.

Vampiro won the IWRG Heavyweight Championship

Satanico defeated El Dandy in Tijuana at the start of a Dandy retirement tour.

Guadalajara local Gallo upset Arkangel to win Chile’s FULL Championship

Like this:

taped 2013-12-06 @ Arena MexicoTitán vs Pólvora in a lightning match: cut by about 20% on TV; felt like more of a match on Terra and more a collection of Titan high spots on Fox Sports. The highspots were really good and this was a fun diversion, but they’ve had more complete matches together this year. National champion beat world champion, means nothing.

Reapper finds a use for La Mascara

Atlantis, Diamante Azul, Rush vs Tama Tonga, Terrible, Último Guerrero: I had a really tough time trying to stay interested in this match (which meant it took much longer to actually get thru, sadly.) This seemed okay, but it’s just hard to care about any Atlantis/Ultimo Guerrero build up match, which was most of what this was. I think I’m in the minority in believing it’s going to actually happen in the next 3 or 9 months, but I’m also very tired of them doing the same spots in the same build up trios matches as they’ve done the last few years and that was what this was. I didn’t think the other guys were that great, and everyone seems to have no idea how a DDT is supposed to work or Tonga’s finisher has become a very strange roll up this time thru.

Mistico, Valiente, Volador Jr. vs Kráneo, Mr. Águila, Psyco Ripper: Sloppy match. Ripper, or whatever we’re calling him by the time you read this, is trying that hard but not nearly a big enough deal to pull him out. Aguila is not good. Triple moonsault sounds like a good idea and was on other shows, but did not come off well here. The Místico/Volador friendship seems forced and unnatural.